Get Back the Silver Materia
by Lord Divestre Croft
Summary: Cloud and the crew find their lives interrupted when the threat of Sephiroth appears out of the blue. To make matters worse, Tifa plans on marrying Reno! Not if I have a say in it! Will someone please review? Cloti cleaned up edition
1. A normal day

For the people that may be worried, this is a Cloti. I repeat, this is a s Cloti. Down with Cleris!

* * *

Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. 

- The Dhammapada

* * *

It all just started on a perfectly normal day. Marlene was doing a puzzle with Denzel in the living room. Tifa was minding the bar as usual, humming and thinking to herself. Meanwhile, Cloud was making his deliveries. 

Cloud raced fearlessly on his fenrir through the back road, completely alone. He was at peace with himself, the surroundings, his machine... and the large weaponry that was hidden from view. Or at least, he pretended to be in peace. It's amazing how you can look so worry-free and still be racked with joy, confusion, and pain.

"So many things had happened in the last few years. I am now twenty-seven years old. We've just celebrated Marlene's thirteenth birthday, and Denzel's fourteenth birthday will be in a month. Barret has recently got married and is planning to have Marlene finally live with him and his new wife as a family. Not surprisingly, Vincent and Yuffie are going to tie the knot themselves in less than a year. To top that off, Tifa and Reno are...

Cloud immediately stopped his thoughts. As hard as he tried not to think about it, the fact was still there. Reno didn't deserve a woman like that. Sure, he loved Tifa, but he also respected her decisions. What control did he have over who **she **wanted to marry?

"Ah, here we are," Cloud said to him. He had reached his destination.

* * *

Tifa scrubbed away at a dirty mug in the sink. Her smile seemed to be painted on her face. After all she was getting married.

"Reno will make me happy, I know he will..."

"Tifa!" Marlene shouted. "We finished the puzzle. Come and see."

Tifa finished cleaning the mug and went to the living room. Sure enough, a huge, 1000 pieced puzzle of a castle was lying on the coffee table.

"Good job," Tifa commented. "And it took you all morning..."

"Do you want a puzzle as a wedding present?" Denzel asked. "You and Reno could do one for fun on your honeymoon..."

"Sorry," Tifa apologized. "Reno isn't good with puzzles."

Marlene leaned close to Denzel and whispered, "Of course he isn't good with puzzles. He's a moron!"

"Did you say something?" Tifa asked Marlene.

"Oh, it's just kids' stuff..."

* * *

Cloud walked out of the building. He casually strolled towards his bike when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out, pushed the answer button, put the phone to his ear. 

"Is this Cloud Strife?" a voice asked.

"First," Cloud answered, "I want to know whose calling?"

"It's me, Rude."

"I'm listening."

"I am calling on behalf of my employers, President Shinra," Rude said. "He has job for you that may be of interest..."

"I don't work for Shinra anymore..." Cloud sneered.

"Then call it a 'delivery job' for your business."

Cloud sighed. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt..."

* * *

"Right this way, Mr. Strife," the woman said. 

Cloud followed the woman to the President's office. As soon as he entered the room, he was greeted warmly by Reno. Cloud didn't know whether to congratulate Reno once again on being engaged to Tifa or punch his lights out for it.

"Hey, how's the best man of my wedding?" Reno patted Cloud on the back. Cloud gave out a weak but convincing smile.

"So you finally showed up."

Cloud turned towards President Shinra who was sitting at his desk. Cloud walked closer to him.

"So," Cloud began, "I was told that you had a job for me that would interest me."

"Yes, that."

The president turned his swivel chair around and looked out his of his office window to the streets below.

"You have fought valiantly against anything that has tried to corrupt this world, am I right?"

"Yes sir," Cloud replied.

"Well, I must ask you to step forward and do it again'" the president said.

"What?"

"Mr. Strife, I need for you to find the lost materia of Sephiroth..."

* * *

DUN DUN DUN 

Please review. Thank you.


	2. The cards have been set

If you are reading this author's note right now, please review this story. How do I know whether people like this story? Please review. Thank you very much.

* * *

Tifa and Marlene stood in front of the kitchen sink, silently washing the dishes together. 

"Do you think it'll be busy tonight?" Marlene asked.

"I certainly hope so!" Tifa began to the laugh. "I always do."

"Yeah... Too bad, Cloud doesn't have to pay for his drink, being the delivery boy..."

"Hmmmm."

"What's wrong, Tifa?"

Marlene looked at Tifa with concerned eyes. Tifa smiled and put her hand on Marlene's shoulder.

"It's alright, sweetie," Tifa replied. "I'm just worried about our delivery boy. He should have been back by now. I hope he's not slacking off on us. "

The sound of the fenrir's engine appeared on queue. Something was different though; it was louder than usual.

"Stay here, Marlene," Tifa commanded.

Tifa stepped out of the kitchen and went to the front door. She opened it and stepped outside, only to be greeted by Reno first.

"Hey, sexy." Reno lightly hugged her around the waist and kissed her.

Cloud, who was dismounting his bike, cringed as he watched them. But then again, who wouldn't?

"Reno," Tifa finally got her words. "What's going on?"

Tifa, still in Reno's embrace, looked around to see a limousine, surrounded flanked by two other men on fenrirs.

"We'll discuss it when everyone gets here," Cloud interrupted them.

"Everyone?" Tifa asked.

* * *

"Hi Tifa! Hi Cloud!" 

Yuffie's voice rang throughout the whole bar. Vincent was close behind her.

"Our apologies if we made you wait long," Vincent said quietly.

"No worries," President Shinra said. "It hasn't been long."

"Hey, everybody!" Barret shouted. "Where's old Spiky?"

Barret walked to the bar counter and saw Marlene.

"How's my little sugar pie?" He stretched out his arms for a hug. Marlene ran towards him and jumped. Barret caught her, and they held each other in a tights embrace.

"Marlene, you've gained weight..."

"Daaaaaddy!"

Cid was close behind as well.

"This had better be good," Cid grumbled to himself.

All of the players were waiting around the bar for the explanation.

"Good, everyone is present," the president finally said. "I apologize that I have interrupted your lives, but this is an emergency."

The president turned to Rude.

"Give them the folders," he commanded.

Rude picked up a brief case that was leaning against the wall. He put it on a nearby table and unlocked it. Rude took out several folders and passed them out.

"A week ago," the president continued, "we came across a silver materia that was in the area where Sephiroth was last defeated."

This did not yet spark any interest in the group. Cloud, however, listened intently.

"We took the materia to the lab for further study and made quiet the discovery. This materia was infused with Jenova cells."

President Shinra looked around to see the affects of his words. Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Now that I have your attention," the president said, "we believe that this materia must have burst out of Sephiroth when Cloud defeated him."

"So," Tifa interrupted, "where do we fit in this?"

"Well, two days ago, the materia was stolen from the lab. Three of our scientists were killed. We had a tracker on the container that it was in, and my spies nearly caught the thieves. However, the thieves did something we did not anticipate: they made a dimension jump with a special vehicle."

"Dimension jump!" Cid shouted. "But that's imposs..."

"No," President Shinra interrupted. "It is possible these days. In fact, I have one in our lab."

"Stop playing us," Yuffie groaned.

"He's telling the truth, Yuffie."

Yuffie stared at Cloud in shock.

"I saw it myself," Cloud said.

"Thank you, Mr. Strife." The president quickly went back to the subject.

"Thanks to the tracker, we have the coordinates of where they jumped to, but then we lost contact. **That** is where all of you come in."

"So what is the purpose of this meeting?" Vincent asked.

"I want all of you to make the same dimension jump that the thieves made, find the materia, and destroy it."

The room fell silent. Everyone stared at each other, trying to figure out what to say. The president began to walk out of the room.

"I will give all of you twelve hours to decide...Mr. Strife has already decided to take the mission."

"Wait," Tifa said. "I'm in."

"I don't need twelve hours either," Barret also replied. "Count me in too."

"I will join you as well," Vincent chimed in.

"Not without me you won't!" Yuffie grabbed Vincent's arm. "Whether this dimension jumpin' thing is true or not..."

"Ah, heck," Cid groaned. "I guess I'm coming too.

"Can we come too?" Marlene and Denzel stood together with hope in their eyes.

"NOOOO!" Barret shouted.

* * *

In the next chapter, our heroes will travel to another universe. For the first person who can name the U.S. state that they land in, I will give them a preview of an event that will happen later on in the story. 

Please read and review. You know you want to...


	3. Where are we?

Throughout this chapter, a few words will be in bold. They are the keywords. If you need to, look up a keyword (type them up as exactly as I write it) on the internet to figure out which U.S. city and state our heroes have ended up in. The first person that is able to name this state will get the story preview of an important event that is to come later in the story. Remember, I want the state and the city. If you are world savvy enough, you will probably be able to guess the right answer and not have to use a keyword at all.

May Lady Luck be with you!

* * *

"For Pete's sake, what's taking him so long?!" Cid yelled. 

The team stood in the president's office, patiently waiting for the one person that had not arrived yet.

"Relax, Cid," Tifa said soothingly. "Barret is dropping off Marlene and Denzel at his house. He should be here in a few minutes."

Yuffie walked over to a coffee machine on a table in the office.

"Anyone want some coffee too?" she asked.

"No thanks," everyone said simultaneously.

The front door of the office burst open. Barret nearly fell forward, but easily caught his balance. He bent down, put his hands on his knees, and caught his breathe.

"Well, it's about time!" Cid shouted.

"Ah, buck off, Cid." Barret gave Cid a death glare. "Marlene kept on begging me to let her come with us. It got kinda ugly. I hope my wife, Barbara, can handle her..."

"Is everyone present?" President Shinra asked as he walked into the office.

"Yes, sir," Cloud replied.

"Good. Off to the laboratory."

* * *

"What the heck is this?" Yuffie asked. Before her, Yuffie saw a single, metal door in the middle of the room. It had no walls surrounding its side; it stood alone. The door faced a large control panel. 

"That, my friends," the president said, "is the Dimension Traveler 300X."

"Also known as DT 300X," Rude added.

"Looks like somethin' out of a cartoon," Cid commented.

Five scientists entered the room. President Shinra gave them a nod, and the scientists began power up the machine.

"Is this how the thieves escaped as well?" Vincent asked Rude.

"Yes."

"Then why couldn't they be followed?" Tifa inquired.

"Their machine was programmed to self-destruct before we could get to them," Reno replied. "That's also why we lost the signal."

"Alright then," the president interrupted. "Now that all of trivial questions have been answered, let's began."

The team gave their attention to the president, ready for anything that would come their way. Or at least, they thought they were...

"All of the arrangements have been made. Rude and Reno will accompany you on the mission."

Tifa turned to Reno and gave him a wink which nauseated Cloud.

"Shinra will pay for all of the expenses you accumulate throughout the mission: Food, weaponry, transportation, clothing, etc...In fact, Shinra has even taken the liberty of reserving a room for each and every one of you. You will be spread out of course, to evade suspicion..."

"Hey, wait a second," Yuffie shouted.

"What is it, Miss Yashigari?"

"If you've been able to secretly reserve our rooms and pay for everything," Barret supported, "then how come we're the ones that are doing the job."

"I don't have that kind of faith in my own agents," the president insisted.

"What kind of half-baked excuse is that!" Yuffie screamed.

"The pay will be 2 million gil each."

"Works for us!" Yuffie cooed.

"Any other objections?" President Shinra asked. "No one?"

"Sir," a scientist interrupted, "the machine is ready."

"Open the door then."

Another scientist put on rubber gloves, walked towards the strange door, and opened it. The opening of the 'door' was filled with light.

"What the...!"Cid shouted.

"It's time for you to go now!" the president announced.

"But what are we supposed to do?" Tifa asked.

"Walk through it."

"You must be out of your mind!" Barret yelled as he turned to the president.

Barret turned his head back to where his friends were, only to see Yuffie halfway through the door.

"Come on, you big baby!" Yuffie called. "Everyone else has gone through."

With that, Yuffie was completely immersed in the light and vanished. Barret took a huge gulp and walked through the door as well, with his eyes closed. As soon as he had completely stepped through the door, the air turned warmer.

"Are we dead?" Barret asked.

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Yuffie squealed. Barret opened his eyes in comfort.

Our heroes were surrounded by several buildings and streets. The sun beat down moderately on everyone that walked the streets. Yellow cars were stopping for people and leaving people on the sidewalks.

"What is this place?" Cloud finally asked.

"I don't know," Reno replied. "The boss told me what it was called, but I just can't pronounce it right."

"So, where do we go from here?"

Vincent looked towards the more competent Shinra man, Rude.

"Well," Reno began to reach into his pocket, "the boss gave me the paper with the name of the hotel we will be staying at."

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and opened it up.

"The **Bellagio **hotel..."

* * *

As the group, they stepped into the spacious lobby. Tifa looked up and saw that the ceiling on the hotel was covered by an enormous glass sculpture of different kinds of flowers. 

"Oh, how beautiful..." Tifa cooed. "Look at it, Reno."

"Whatever," Reno said lackadaisically. "It's just a bunch of flowers."

"Actually," Cloud interrupted, "I think it's amazing."

Tifa looked at Cloud and smiled.

"Unreal," Yuffie whispered as she feasted her eyes on the work of art.

"Hey guys!" Cid caught everyone's attention. "Check that out."

To their right, the lobby led to a vast casino room. Cid walked closer to take a better look.

"They have slot machines, poker and chip tables, and every casino game known to man!"

"Remember," Vincent reminded them, "this is not a pleasure trip. We are on a mission here."

"Lighten up, Vinnie." Yuffie patted her fiancé on the back.

Cloud surveyed his hotel room. Searching through it, he opened his closet to find several business suits, a pair of tuxedoes, jeans, and good quality shirts.

"Yup, Shinra took care of everything alright."

A knock sounded on the door. Cloud stopped looking through his findings to see who it was. He squinted through the peephole of the door.

**Tifa.**

With haste, Cloud opened his hotel door and greeted her.

"I finally found you, Cloud," Tifa said jokingly.

"What brings you to my humble room," he replied in banter.

"I just wanted to see what room you got." Tifa gave Cloud a puppy-dog pout.

"Come in then."

Tifa began to glance everywhere in the room.

"This must be a very nice hotel," Tifa said.

"I looked at the information folder that they provide in the room. This is a five diamond awarded hotel."

"Sounds pretty big," Tifa replied.

"Must be."

An awkward silence filled the room. The two began to stare each other, not knowing what to say.

"Ummm, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't come here to look at your room," Tifa confessed.

"Well, then why are you here?" Cloud asked.

"I'm worried about you, Cloud."

"What?"

"Before we even got here...before we even took this mission, you have been acting very strangely..."

"What are talking about?" Cloud gave her a questioning stare.

"You've been avoiding me, Cloud. You barely open up anymore. Your smile seems more and more forced by the day. And you space out a lot lately. What's the matter with you?"

"It's nothing," Cloud lied. "I'm fine."

Cloud walked to a desk in the room, put his hands down on it, and leaned forward. He gave out a loud sigh.

Tifa became even more worried. She walked towards him, and put her hand of his shoulder.

"Cloud..."

"I said it's nothing!" he shouted.

Tifa pulled her hand away in shock. She stepped back and turned away from him.

"I'm sorry," Cloud said quietly. "I need to figure it out on my own."

Turned back to him and nodded.

"I apologize if I bothered you," Tifa finally said. And with that, she turned around again and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"I saw a hotel somewhere across the street...It's called Treasure Island."

"Soooooo?" Cloud prodded.

"Cid, Reno, and Barret are already checking out this hotel. Wanna check that hotel out with me?"

"Now?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah!" she replied.

"Well," he decided, "I have nothing better to do..."


	4. Exploration

Congratulations to kagura-ness for winning the last chapter's contest. The answer was Las Vegas, Nevada. And no, this contest is no longer valid!

* * *

"Are you sure we that we should be here?" Vincent asked. 

It's okay," Yuffie replied. "Cid, Reno, and Barret are at the Bellagio, Cloud and Tifa went to Treasure Island...I don't know where Rude is, but we're at the Ventian. Relax, why doncha?"

Vincent gave out a heavy sigh.

"Look, Vincent!" Yuffie grabbed her fiancé's arm and pointed to a small, man-made river. On the river, a strange boat floated peacefully, with the help of a man rowing it.

"Men rowing boats on a man-made river in a mall!" Vincent murmured quietly. "Talk about impractical..."

"I think it's cute," Yuffie said. "Let's get on one!"

"Remember, Yuffie, we are on a ..."

"Mission, schission! Let's go!"

Yuffie walked behind Vincent and forcibly pushed him forward.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa had entered the Treasure Island. 

"Wow," Tifa cooed. "Everything's so tropical."

"I'm going to the front desk," Cloud said. "Wait for me."

Cloud walked over the concierge.

"Excuse me, can I have a map of this hotel?"

"Want a map for all of the hotels, sir," the receptionist asked.

"Sure, that would be great."

* * *

"Dammit, I lost again!" 

Reno had been defeated once again by the infamous slot machine.

"Cut it out, Reno!" Barret yelled.

"Yeah," Cid chimed in. "You'll waste all our money!"

Reno turned from the money eating machine with a look of disgust.

"This freaking hotel is the most expensive one in the city. The least this joint could do is put **more** money in people's pockets..."

* * *

"I can't believe that they have a small zoo in here," Cloud said to Tifa. 

"That tiger really resembles Red X III, don't you think so, Cloud?"

Cloud turned his attention to the orange and black striped beast.

"Yeah, it actually does."

"You did it, Cloud," Tifa suddenly said.

"What?"

"You smiled without even trying."

Cloud looked puzzled for a moment, but then he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Tifa asked.

"You...snicker...notice so many things...that's all..."

"No one's ever told me that," Tifa declared.

Cloud smiled again.

"Let's get something to eat," Cloud finally said. "I'm starved."

* * *

"You know, riding on this boat while this guy sings for us is kinda romantic," Yuffie whispered. 

"It is," Vincent agreed.

Yuffie stared deeply in Vincent's eyes until he became very nervous. Then, she closed her eyes and puckered her lips.

"Uh, Yuffie?"

"Kiss me, Vinnie."

"K...Kiss you!" Vincent stammered. "Here? Now?"

"If you love you me, you'll kiss me anywhere," Yuffie said.

Vincent gave out a sigh and succumbed.

* * *

Cloud and Tifa sat around a coffee table in the lobby lounge of the tropical hotel, looking over brochures and maps of the city. 

"Look at all of these hotels," Cloud whispered.

"How in the world are we going to find the materia if there are so many hotels in the area?" Tifa asked.

Cloud came across a brochure for the MGM hotel.

"There's going to be a comic and video game convention at this hotel," Cloud said.

"Well, read it out loud."

"Okay then." Cloud cleared his throat and began to read.

"This year's 'VegasCon' will be held in the convention center in the MGM Grand hotel. This year will feature comic and manga artists of today's hottest books, DDR tournaments, and other various contests. Among these contests, there will be a 'Final Fantasy VII judging contest on creating realistic weaponry, cosplay, and other items from the video game. Hope to see you there."

"What the heck is Final Fantasy VII?" Tifa asked.

"What do you mean 'what the heck is Final Fantasy VII'!"

Cloud and Tifa turned to see a thirteen-year-old, Caucasian girl run over to them.

"I can't believe you don't know what FFVII is," the girl said.

"Well," Cloud replied, "we don't."

"It's only the best video game of all time!" the girl screamed. "Here's a pamphlet to get you up to speed."

The girl handed Cloud the piece of paper. Cloud scanned the paper, and then, a look of horror appeared on his face.

"Tifa, look at this."

Tifa snatched the paper out of Cloud's hands and looked as well. She gave out a frightened squeal.

"These people...on the paper..."

"Is something wrong?" the girl asked.

"Umm, no...nothing's wrong," Cloud lied.

"Excuse me," Tifa summoned the girl.

"Yes, m'am?"

"Can you tell me the name of this blonde guy?"

"Sure, that's Cloud Strife!"

Tifa turned pale and stared at Cloud.

"I love Cloud most of all," the girl squealed. "He's so hot..."

Cloud turned beat red in the face.

"You look almost exactly like him too," the girl said to Cloud.

"Thanks for the information," Tifa said quietly.

"No problem," the girl said triumphantly. "As a gamer, I'm all about educating non-gamers. See ya!"

As soon as the girl left, Tifa fell on the floor and fainted, and Cloud quickly came to her aid.

* * *

Reno walked alone through the casino, prohibited from gambling by his companions. He spotted a bar and quickly seated himself for a drink. 

"This totally sucks," he mumbled to himself. "No slots, no poker, no nothing..."

"What's got you down, cutie?"

Reno turned to a see a pretty, blonde woman. His eyes immediately followed her voluptuous curves and her shapely legs.

"Hi there," he said.

"Hi yourself," she said. "The name's Veronica."

"I go by Reno."

"Nice to meet you, Reno," Veronica said in a sultry manner. "Since you're so down, your drink's on me..."

* * *

"That was wonderful," Yuffie whispered. 

"I feel so relaxed," Vincent replied.

"See? Didn't I tell you needed to loosen up?"

Vincent walked with his fiancée into the hotel gardens of Bellagio . He was a step behind her, protectively at her back.

"We really should be on target with our mission," Vincent reminded her. "We piddled around for three hours straight..."

At the time, the gardens were virtually empty. At least, so they thought. Up ahead, behind a bird of paradise plant, Reno casually flirted with Veronica. Vincent shrugged, not surprised at what he was seeing, while Yuffie's jaw dropped in awe and disgust. Veronica, who was sitting down on a bench, got up, wrapped her arms around Reno, and planted him on the cheek with her red painted lips.

"Vincent, what are we going to do?"

* * *

And this is where we will stop today... 


	5. The Storm is brewing

Cloud carried the unconscious Tifa Lockhart to her hotel room. He sat on down on the floor and found her key card in her purse. When he was about to gain entrance into the room, Tifa's cell phone rang. Cloud took it out of the purse and saw that it was Yuffie. He pushed the answer button.

"Hello?" Yuffie's voice came through the phone. "Tifa?"

"Tifa can't talk right now," Cloud answered. "This is Cloud."

"Oh, Cloud," Yuffie whined. "I got some news that really tanks!"

"Well, spill!" Cloud said.

"Vincent was with me at the gardens."

"Uhuh..."

" Well...we got there...and we saw Reno flirting with some tart!"

"You jerking my chain!" Cloud yelled.

"We last saw him taking her to some restaurant," Yuffie added.

Cloud involuntarily kicked the door and punched it with his free hand.

"You have to tell Tifa A.S.A.P, Cloud!"

Cloud leaned on the door. He felt angry, sad, and definitely disgusted.

"I'll try," he said quietly.

* * *

Tifa woke up on her soft, hotel bed. She gave out a tired groan and unwillingly got up. A piece of paper was on the pillow next to her: 

_Tifa,_

_After you read this note, come to the lobby. We have** to talk.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Cloud Strife**_

Tifa rubbed her head. She read the note once or twice, got her purse, and headed out the door.

* * *

"Where have you bee, Rude?" 

Rude, who was sitting in a lobby chair, turned to see Reno who was walking towards him.

"While everyone else was fooling around," Rude replied, "I was studying our surroundings."

Reno sat down in a chair next to his comrade.

"Take the MGM Grand hotel, for instance. They are holding an annual convention for people who like comics and video games. One video game that I noticed happens to have **us** as the game characters!"

Rude showed them a pamphlet on Final Fantasy VII. Reno's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"B...But this is imposs..."

Reno looked at Rude, and Rude shoke his head in a yes gesture.

"Apparently," Rude continued, "In this dimension..."

"...We are nothing but a video game," Tifa finished for him, sullenly.

"Hey, babe," Reno greeted her.

Reno got up from his seat, walked to where she was standing, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I was looking for you a few minutes ago," Reno said. "You already now about us and that video game."

"Cloud and I found out."

Rude joined them.

"The reason I brought the subject up," Rude continued, "was because I think that the silver materia and the Final Fantasy VII contest are connected somehow."

"When is the convention?" Reno asked.

"It's tomorrow."

* * *

Cloud's phone went off in his pocket. He answered it. 

"Cloud?"

"Hello, Tifa. Where are you?"

"I'm at the lobby with Rude and Reno."

Cloud was tempted to crush his phone.

"Listen, Cloud," Tifa said. "Reno wants to show me something. Can we talk later?"

Cloud mentally scolded Tifa. He reluctantly said 'okay'.

* * *

Later, Cloud, Yuffie, and Vincent sat at the bar. 

"So..." Yuffie prodded.

"I couldn't get to her," Cloud groaned. "She met up with Reno..."

"May Reno burn in hell," Vincent muttered to himself.

"This sucks!" Yuffie yelled, gaining a lot of attention in the process. "Reno is such a jerk! Does Tifa have any eye for men!"

Cloud rested his head on the bar counter.

"How do I tell her now?" Cloud said to himself.

"Actually," Vincent said quietly, "we may need to take a different approach to soften the blow."

"Huh?"

"Finding out that your boyfriend has been cheating on you is pretty devastating," Yuffie said in retrospect.

"Then what do I do?" Cloud asked.

"I heard that there's a really cool show in this hotel," Yuffie said. "It's called 'O'."

"What the heck is that?" Cloud asked.

"It's a part of some human circus called Cirque du Soleil. Vinnie and I bought four."

"Why four?" Cloud inquired.

"The other two were originally for Reno and Tifa," Vincent explained. "Reno's ticket is now yours."

"But what does the show have anything to do with this?" Cloud asked.

"After the show," Vincent answered, "she will be calmer. Then you shall tell her the truth."

"Why am I the one that has to tell her!"

Cloud gained a lot of attention from the crowd.

"Because blockhead," Yuffie interrupted, "you're closer to her than we are."

* * *

"I'm glad you took Reno's spot, Cloud," Tifa said calmly. "He was too tired to go, and the ticket would have been wasted." 

Cloud heard but did not listen. His mind was mostly on telling her the truth. Show or not, this was going to get ugly.

"Here's our seats!" Yuffie cooed.

The small group took their seats and waited for the exquisite show to began...

* * *

"That was actually kinda cool," Cloud commented.

"I know," Tifa agreed. "I wonder how they created the stage to convert into a pool..."

Suddenly, Yuffie grabbed Vincent's arm and took off.

"Yuffie! Vincent!"

Tifa's calls were in vain. Soon the happy couple was out of sight.

"Oh , yeah."

Cloud remembered what he had to do.

"Well," Tifa finally said, "since the Yuffentine has abandoned us, let's take a walk."

* * *

"Where is my phone?" 

Reno searched his room, but could not find his cell phone.

"Wait a second. I left it in Tifa's purse when we were out together."

Reno put on a coat, exited his room, and went to look for Tifa.

* * *

"Cloud, you haven't said a word. Is something wrong?" 

Cloud came back to earth.

"Nope," he said. "Just tired."

Tifa thought for a moment on a topic.

"Cloud, you said that you needed to tell me something this afternoon."

Cloud's heart rate sped up. Could he possibly tell her? Could he really tell her something that would break her heart?

They ended up in a secluded sitting area with two small aquariums on each side. Cloud watched as a beautiful, orange fish swam gracefully in the water.

"Cloud, are you ignoring me?"

Cloud continued to gaze into the water. The water plants moved from side to side.

"Cloud, look at me," Tifa commanded.

Cloud kept his eyes on the small aquarium. He would not dare look at her. It was just too painful. Of course, it was his own fault that he was in this situation in the first place.

"Look at me!"

Unwilling, Cloud turned and faced her. Tifa's eyes were filled of annoyance and worry. She was close to tears.

"You have to tell me what's wrong with you..."

"Tifa..."

"Don't 'Tifa' me!" she screamed. "You haven't been yourself for weeks! You barely eat. You're always sleepy in the morning..."

"Tifa, please..."

"I'm not the only one who's worried about you, Cloud. Everyone's noticed that you've been acting weird. Even Marlene complains about it. Reno has noticed too, and he tries to help you, but then you get all hostile...In fact, you started getting that way ever since..."

Tifa froze in realization and smacked her forehead.

"Cloud..."

"Huh?" Cloud took a step back, nervously.

"You're upset because Reno and I are getting married!"

To Cloud, it seemed as if the world had suddenly stopped. Yes, the great Cloud Strife, who had fought Sephiroth on several different occasions, was backed into a corner by Tifa Lockhart.

"Am I right, Cloud?" Tifa asked quietly. "Is that true?"

"Y...Yes..."

"Why?"

Cloud hesitated to answer her. Those never-ending questions and doubts poured into his mind.

_Our relationship will never be the same..._

"Cloud..."

_Even if Reno did betray her, wouldn't I still stealing from him?..._

"Cloud, answer me..."

_What will happen afterwards?_

"Tell me, Cloud. I know that whatever it is, it's killing you..."

_Ah, to heck with 'what if'..._

Cloud looked straight into her eyes. He took a deep breathe, and an aura of seriousness incircled him. Cloud put his hands on her shoulders.

"Tifa..."

"Y-yes, Cloud?"

Without anymore hesitation, Cloud leaned forward and kissed her. At first she whined in protest, but then she willingly kissed back.

And Reno turned around the corner, into the room, just in time to spot them. He kept himself out of their sight.

Cloud quickly broke the kiss and stared at her. Tifa was in total shock.

"Forgive me," Cloud whispered.

Tifa gently touched his cheek.

"I would have kept silent, I promise I would have," he continued. "But when Yuffie told me that Reno had been cheating on you..."

"What!"

Reno took this as his queue to leave.Tifa's face turned pale in shock. Her knees turned weak, and she would have collapsed to the floor, but Cloud caught her and helped her get onto a bench.


	6. A late night indeed

Yuffie and Vincent strolled into the small garden in the hotel. The garden was filled with lush trees, colorful flowers, and many other exotic plants.

"Vincent," Yuffie said, "Do you think Tifa will be alright?"

"Tifa is a strong woman," Vincent replied. "She'll probably confront Reno, beat on him, grumble, cry and sulk about for a week or two, and then suck it in."

"You're thorough," Yuffie commented.

Vincent gave her a mock death glare for a moment and then laughed.

"I guess I am."

"Well, when Tifa begins to grumble, sulk, and cry, we'll be there."

* * *

The timed fountains of Bellagio began their late night show for the outside public. The people who passed by stopped to watch the spectacular event. The audience cheered and clapped as the shooting water strategically moved with the lights and music. Cloud and Tifa stood at the front, watching as well, in silence. 

Suddenly, Tifa turned to Cloud and giggled.

"I don't love Reno, you know."

Cloud looked at her in shock.

"Tifa, are you okay."

"No," Tifa interrupted. "I mean it. I never did. I thought that I loved him, but it wasn't him that I loved."

Tifa turned back to the show and feasted her eyes on it. Cloud did the same, but he still listened to what she had to say.

"I was in love with romance and marriage, not Reno. I was so focused on what the relationship was that didn't take the time to figure out who I was having the relationship with. Sure, I'm still upset that he cheated on me, but I'm actually kind of relieved now. I feel free. In fact, I declare myself single now."

Cloud smiled, but he was still worried about how she was feeling.

"It's only been three hours since I told you about it," Cloud interrupted.

"I'm fine Cloud, really. And even if I'm not, I will be. But first, Reno has earned a punch in the face."

Cloud laughed at this and said, "I'll do it for you."

* * *

Reno sat on his hotel bed. Fear and anguish crawled up his spine. Sweat began to pour on his face. 

"Dammit, Cloud! Why did you have to rat me out?"

His mind flashed to when Cloud kissed Tifa.

"And on top of that, you were moving in on her too...well, guess I don't deserve to be angry after what I've done."

Reno had to face the facts. His relationship with Tifa was over.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be out this late?" Cloud asked. 

Cloud and Tifa had walked over to the Venetian hotel.

"Don't be a wuss," Tifa retorted. "I don't even want to be a mile away from Reno right now..."

"I thought you said you were okay," Cloud reminded her.

"I'm not sad...I just annoyed!" Tifa yelled.

To Cloud's dismay, Tifa struck a sexy pose in the middle of the lobby. All of the men stopped and stared perversely.

"I mean, come on," Tifa continued. "Do you see any women in this dimension with a body like this? What is he? Stupid?"

Cloud was truly embarrassed. He stood in front of Tifa and blocked the view of the men.

"Tifa, we are in a public area! Cut it out... now!"

"Said after taking a good look," Tifa said in a sultry manner. She was enjoying this.

Cloud knew that Tifa was right about what she said, but he was not about to admit it. He grabbed Tifa's arm and lead her down the hall.

"Let's go see the show, okay?"

* * *

After finding a table and getting a drink, Cloud and Tifa relaxed and waited for the show to began. 

"What's this show called again?" Tifa asked.

"Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance..."

Cloud looked around the large room and noticed that people were staring at them. He recognized them as people who were saw them in lobby earlier. Some of them were snickering, while men were waving at Tifa. Cloud smacked himself on the forehead.

The curtains opened up and stage fog began to flow. Eerie, Irish music began to play. A young woman in a golden costume suit gracefully, yet playfully, danced on the stage. She put a flute to her lips and played a few notes. Soon, she was joined on the stage by a group of Irish tap dancing women. The music became joyous and childlike. Throughout the short dance the women were jumping, moving their hands strategically, and smiling. The women were joined on stage by men who began tap dancing as well. The leading man wore a white blouse. The music then became more lively and passionate. The audience began to clap to the music.

"Come on, Cloud, you have to clap too!" Tifa shouted over the loud music.

Cloud willingly obeyed.

The whole group of dancers began to speed up in rhythm.

* * *

"It's two in the morning." Cloud yawned. 

"Yeah, but it was worth it," Tifa said. "Two shows in one night..."

The streets still had some people running around, hitting one casino after another. Taxis still ran. Still, Cloud and Tifa had plenty of room for themselves.

"Does this place ever sleep?" Cloud asked.

"Apparently not."

Cloud and Tifa had made it again to the now dormant fountains of Bellagio. Cloud leaned his back on the railing.

"This place is amazing at night," Tifa said. "So many lights..."

Yes, it was a romantic sight indeed. Lights blinked on and off and showed off their hotels in their distinctive way.

Tifa took a few steps forward and gazed at the city in awe.

"Wow...Midgar isn't like this..."

Tifa turned around to see that Cloud was right behind her. He hugged her by the waist and kissed her again. She involuntarily wrapped her arms around him, but then broke the kiss. They were still in an embrace.

"Wait, Cloud, I can't..."

Cloud simply kissed her again, but this time, it was longer.

"We wouldn't be any better that Reno..."

He kissed her again, and she put her hands on his cheek.

"It's really late, Cloud," Tifa protested.

Cloud still did not listen. He hugged her tighter and reeled her in again.

"I'm out of excuses..."

* * *

Yuffie was awakened by her cell phone. She reached for it and answered it. 

"Sorry to wake you, Yuffie," Vincent said over the phone.

"No problem, honey," she said. "Any news from Cloud yet?"

"Not a word. He hasn't called back at all. I hope nothing has happened..."

* * *

Tifa woke, slid out of bed, and yawned. She stretched her stiff body and sat on the bed with a pounce.

"Darn...we should have come back earlier..."

Resolved, she stood up, determined to finish her list of things to do today: take a shower, dress nicely, eat breakfast, help get the materia back...and dump her fiance's sorry butt...


	7. Aftermath

A slightly rewritten chapter...

* * *

Cloud waited patiently at the table in the café. He fidgeted nervously with his hands.

"No self control," he muttered to himself. "No self control at all!"

Yuffie and Vincent stormed through the café and towards Cloud.

"What happened to you two last night?!" Yuffie whispered harshly.

"Good morning to you too," Cloud answered.

Vincent helped Yuffie get into her seat and got into his own.

"Well," Vincent began, "what happened?"

Cloud froze.

"Come on, Cloud!" Yuffie whined. "Spill it!"

"Well, I told her about Reno..."

"That's good," Vincent commented.

"She was upset four a few hours, but she was very resilient...She said that she actually felt relieved..."

"Go on," Yuffie prodded.

"Tifa didn't want to go back to the hotel, so we went to catch a late night show at the Venetian..."

"And?" Vincent prodded Cloud further.

Cloud froze once again. He didn't even want to think about the last part.

"Cloud, don't clam up on us now!" Yuffie said.

Cloud began to fidget with his hands again.

"Cloud," Vincent said, "we are waiting for an answer."

----------

Rude lathered the bottom half on his face with shaving cream. He rinsed his hands of the cream and waited for it to settle.

"Today, we're going to check out this convention. Something tells me that what we are looking for is there."

A cold shiver went up his spine.

"Why do I get the feeling that something strange is going on?"

-----------

"Um, Cloud, can you repeat what you just said?" Yuffie asked. She rubbed her ears to make sure. "Because I could've sworn that you just said …"

"That's exactly what I said," Cloud whispered. "Could you please keep it down?"

Vincent began to rub his head. Yuffie stared at Cloud in shock. Then, something unexpected happened.

"Wow Cloud!" Yuffie squealed. "It's about time!"

Vincent turned to his fiancée, eyes wide open.

"What are you talking about?" Vincent questioned her. "This is a disaster!"

"Not a disaster, my dear Vinnie," she replied. "It's a miracle! I thought Cloud and Tifa would never get together!"

Vincent could feel a headache coming on.

"What's all the excitement about?" Barret asked as he joined them. Cid was also close behind.

"Barret!" Yuffie happily greeted him. "You'll never guess what happened last night! Cloud and Tifa made out last night!"

As soon as Barret heard those words, he immediately walked over to Cloud and grabbed him by the collar.

"You idiot! What is the matter with you?!" Barret yelled.

People in the surrounding tables were now watching the display.

Cid happily took a seat beside Yuffie and said, "This hotel keeps on getting better by the minute! Let's go here more often!"

----------

Tifa sighed with relief, feeling fresh clothes on her skin.

"Okay," she said to herself. "I going to find Reno right now and break off the engagement."

She grabbed her purse and began to head out the door.

"Maybe I shouldn't tell him about last night..."

Little did Tifa know that fate was not on her side. She opened the door and...

"Hey, Tifa..."

Reno froze and stared at his soon to be ex-fiancée.

"Uh, good...morning...R... Reno..."

----------

"And that's what's going on," Yuffie finished explaining.

"Okay," Barret said in a relaxed tone. "I'm not pissed anymore."

"Well, Cloud?" Cid suddenly said.

"Well, what?"

"You now, last night..."

Cloud looked Cid confusedly.

"Come on, man, details!" Cid shouted.

"Nothing else happened!" Cloud yelled.

"What are you screaming about?" Rude said as he joined the group.

Yuffie was about answer for Cloud when she spotted Reno and Tifa walking towards them as well.

"There be the scoundrel," Vincent muttered.

"Huh?" Rude asked.

Barret got up from his seat, growling angrily and gnashing his teeth.

----------

"Why did I only get a slap in the face?" Reno asked. "Aren't you mad?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Reno."

Tifa looked at Reno and smiled, making Reno feel even guiltier.

"The marriage wasn't meant to be in the first place," Tifa reassured him. "Besides, I'm in love with someone else..."

"RRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEENOOOOOOOOOO!"

Barret stampeded towards Reno. Reno screamed like a little girl and ran like hell out the café, with Barret close behind.

Tifa continued towards her companions and said, "I take it everyone knows now."

"Yup," Yuffie said proudly.

Rude became frustrated and ended the conversation.

"Is it just me, or has everyone forgotten why we came here!" Rude yelled. "We are here to retrieve Sephiroth's materia! Look, even the author of this story has forgotten!"

"No, I haven't," a large voice boomed. "I just like to mess with all of you."

A moment of awkward silence filled the group.

"Okay, then..." said Cloud.

----------

"Shouldn't we have gotten Reno and Barret to come with us," Tifa asked.

"Forget it," Rude replied. "Let Barret chase Reno for a while. We can't afford to stall anymore. We have to figure out who our opponents are."

"I already know," Cloud said.

Everyone stopped walking and stared at him.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Yuffie asked.

"I was doing some thinking last night after..."

The group began to snicker.

"...you know what I mean. I figured it out because of the FFVII contest. Think about it. If you really wanted to win a contest for making a replica of something, what would be better than stealing the real thing? So, the thieves must be..."

"Final Fantasy Gamers!" Yuffie finished.

"Thank you!"


	8. Welcome to Geeksville

"I still don't understand why we are wearing our battle clothes," Yuffie whined. "We look strange in this world."

"Lots of people are going to be dressed like us in the convention," Vincent replied. "We will fit in better this way..."

"Okay, let's execute the plan."

Everyone turned to Cloud, who somehow had become their leader.

"We are all going to separate and find our own way to the convention, to avoid suspicion. Yuffie and Cid will be at the front doors of the convention room if things get ugly. Vincent and Rude will be our back up in the lobby. Tifa and I are going into the convention to find the materia..."

"I don't care what you do," Rude interrupted. "Just stop stalling!"

"Are you sure that you and Tifa should be alone?"

Cid smiled at Cloud perversely. A vein suddenly popped in Cloud's neck; an almost animalistic groan passed through his lips. Cloud raised his fist and dropped it mercilessly on top of Cid's head. Cid plummeted to the floor, and Yuffie dragged him off.

"Good luck you guys," Yuffie said as she left, carrying her heavy burden.

* * *

"RENO!" Barret yelled at the top of his lungs. "JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU #$&!" 

"Somebody help me!" Reno shrieked.

* * *

"Houston, we have landed in Geeksville," Tifa declared.

The so called convention room was actually made up of five large rooms. All around them, crazed fans were dressed as every cartoon and video game character known to man. At the end of the first room, people were signing up for the DDR Tournament.

"Final Fantasy dolls!" a vendor shouted. "Get your one of a kind Final Fantasy dolls. Tifa and Cloud are on display!"

Cloud and Tifa walked over to the vending table.

"Excuse me," Cloud said. "Do you know where we can find the Final Fantasy VII Contest?"

"Sure," the vendor replied. "It's in the fifth section...Hey, those are the best Final Fantasy costumes I've ever seen! You both look exactly like Cloud and Tifa! How did you make your costumes?"

Cloud and Tifa began to laugh nervously. Cloud grabbed Tifa's arm, and they ran into the next room.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

Reno continued to run for his life through the streets of Las Vegas, with Barret in hot pursuit. Thinking fast, Reno darted into the MGM Grand hotel. Reno raced through the lobby and ran past Vincent and Rude. Barret nearly crashed into Vincent. 

"STOP RUNNING AWAY!" Barret howled.

Rude began to rub his head, feeling a headache coming on. Vincent began to laugh like crazy.

* * *

"Cloud, over there." 

Tifa pointed to the FFVII contest tables. In the middle of one of the tables, on a special stand, stood their target. The silver materia gleamed like a precious diamond, seeming as innocent as possible.

"There it is," Cloud whispered. "Let's get it!"

They quickly walked over to the table and tried to nab it.

"And what are you doing?"

Cloud and Tifa had been spotted by a teenaged girl.

"You're that FFVII girl from Treasure Island!"

Cloud and Tifa eyed the girl suspiciously.

"What do want with that?" the girl said. The girl stared at the silver materia that was now in Tifa's hand.

"This materia was stolen from our world," Tifa said. "We are taking it back..."

Cloud turned to Tifa and said, "Should we be telling her that?"

The teenaged girl turned pale at these words. She opened her mouth and began to scream.

"You guys!" the girl screamed. "Someone's stealing our materia!"

Immediately, three older teenage boys and the girl's older sister began to run towards them.

"The world of Final Fantasy is retaliating!" the older sister yelled.

"I think it's time to leave," Cloud declared. He grabbed Tifa's arm, and they ran away from their pursuers.

* * *

Rude felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He quickly answered it. 

"Hello?"

"Rude, thank God I caught you!"

President Shinra's voice was unmistakable.

"Boss!" Rude shouted. "How did you..."

"I'll tell you how I got to you later. I have some news for you..."

Vincent watched with anticipation as Rude listened to what was being said over the phone. Suddenly, Rude gasped over the phone.

"Yes, sir," he said. "Thank you, sir. Goodbye..."

Rude quickly hung up the phone.

"Well?"

"We have to get to the convention and stop Cloud and Tifa from taking back that materia..."

* * *

Sorry for the wait, you guys. I got lazy... 


	9. It's a Dud?

This is a short and bizarre chapter. You have been warned.

* * *

"STOP RUNNING YOU LITTLE WOMANIZER!" 

Barret was still very close his prey. Reno knew that he could not run forever.

"I have to find a place to hide and fast!"

* * *

"Give up the materia, Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart!" 

Tifa glanced from behind a noticed that the geeks were still in hot pursuit.

"Those guys just don't quit!" Cloud yelled.

"Well, we aren't giving this up," Tifa said.

She looked at the gleaming ball in her hand.

"Not with millions of dollars on the line for us..."

* * *

"Are you sure that Shinra has their facts straight?" Vincent asked. 

"Are you saying that our scientists are incompetent!" Rude yelled.

Vincent scratched his head as they walked to the convention center.

"Well, they were wrong the first time..."

The lobby suddenly filled with weird battle cries. Cloud and Tifa ran past Vincent and Rude.

"ATTACK OF THE GEEKS!" Tifa screamed. "ATTACK OF THE GEEKS!"

Several yards behind them followed the geek thieves.

"Give it up! You will never get away!"

Rude and Vincent stared wide eyed at the situation. Vincent's left eye began to twitch. Yuffie and Cid ran past as well.

"Come on, Cid. Let's get em!"

Vincent slapped his forehead. Rude gave a load groan.

"Ah, crap," Rude said finally. "Come on, let's follow them."

* * *

The geeks were now practically breathing down Cloud and Tifa's necks. 

"We have you now!" a female geek cried.

"GOTTCHA, YOU PUNK!"

Reno crashed into Cloud and Tifa, knocking them down. Barret crashed into the whole group of geeks, and they fell as well. Tifa tried to crawl away from the human pile, but the female geek grabbed both of her ankles.

"Not so fast, Tifa!" she snarled.

Tifa managed to slam her foot on the geek girl's arm, making the girl let go. As she got up, the geek girl grabbed at the materia in Tifa's hand. Two women struggled to have their way and were soon rolling on the floor.

Meanwhile, Cloud was trying to shake off the rest of the thieves. Barret was trying to punch Reno, but only managed to punch the geeks.

Yuffie and Cid ran up to fiasco. They stared at each other for a moment, shrugged their shoulders and joined in the fight as well.

"Stop! All of you!"

The whole group, including the geeks, stopped and saw Rude panting and resting his hands on his knees.

"Well, you've told us to stop," Yuffie said. "What's the problem?"

"The material is a dud."

"What?!" Tifa yelled.

"The scientists figured out that the material was not of Sephiroth after all. It has no power. It's completely useless!"

The whole group stared at Rude in shock.

"You mean we went through all of this crap for nothing?!" Cloud screamed.

"Pretty much," Vincent replied.

* * *

"And the winner is team three!" 

"We won!" the young teenaged blonde girl yelled.

"Thanks to that dud silver materia," Yuffie grumbled.

The geek thieves got into a group hug, forcing Cloud and the rest of the gang to join in as well.

"No," Yuffie cried. "I'll get a disease from the geeks!"

"I guess this means no hard feelings?" Reno asked.

"Yeah," the female geek replied. "There's nothing to fight about anymore."

"Let's celebrate and go see Mystere tonight!" the teenaged girl yelled.

Tifa nodded assent.


	10. Is it really the end?

Well, everyone, I have finally written the conclusion of this ridiculous, yet adorbable Cloti fanfic. Sorry it took so long, but a writer's gotta do what a writer's gotta do. If anyone wants a sequel or something...please let me know.

----------

"What do you mean, our pay's been reduced!" Yuffie shrieked.

The whole team was back in the laboratory, staring angrily at their employer, President Shinra.

"My apologies, but the mission did not turn out as we planned. The materia was a dud, so therefore you did not need to destroy it. The job was to find it, take it from the thieves, and destroy it. Because you only accomplished the first two tasks, I will pay you for those tasks only. So, you will each get 666,000 gil for your troubles..."

"You sneaky, low life!" Cid yelled.

Cloud took his angry eyes of the president and marveled at Reno's face. Reno's left eye was swelled shut from the impact of Barret's metal fist. Cloud was even surprised that Reno didn't lose his eye!

"I'm sorry, but the deal was cut short," the president said stoically. "In fact, I shouldn't be paying you at all!"

"But somehow, Mr. Shinra," Tifa said hostilely, " you will pay in full."

The angry group left, grumbling amongst themselves.

"Oh well," Cid mumbled. "At least I got to see those beautiful slot machines."

President Shinra smiled in triumph, believing that he had won.

"Reno, please give me the expense statement. I want to pay for it quickly and get it out of my sight."

Reno took a look at the final total, and his mouth dropped.

"Um, Mr. Shinra?"

"What is it?"

Reno hesitated, but then handed the bill to the president. The president scanned the piece of paper until he got to the grand total. At first, President Shinra could not believe his eyes. Then, utter panic surged through his body. The grand total of the bill would cost him millions...

**Two months later:**

Tifa layed a bouquet of flowers before the pool in the abandoned church. Cloud stood behind her, waiting patiently, remembering Aeris's presence, but most of all, the woman in front of him.

"Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you want to marry me?"

Cloud gazed at into her beautiful, wine-colored eyes and laughed.

"More than anything else in the world."

Cloud touched her face, savoring her soft skin.

"I love you," Tifa whispered. Her face was in full blush.

"I love you too, Tifa."

"Let's have our honeymoon in Las Vegas..."

"Good luck with that."

**Fin.**

**----------**

And that's a wrap. Goodbye!


End file.
